Pedestal-type supporting stand having foldable base legs



A ril 19, 1955 N. M. SULLIVAN 2,706,609

PEDESTAL-TYPE SUPPORTING STAND HAVING FOLDABLE BASE LEGS Filed June 30, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTO A a/P/vmv M 6011 n mv ATTORNEY April 19, 1955 N. M. SULLIVAN PEDESTAL-TYPE SUPPORTING STAND HAVING FOLDABLE BASE LEGS Filed June 30, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY April 19, 1955 N., M. SULLIVAN 2,706,609

PEDESTAL-TYPE SUPPORTING STAND HAVING FOLDABLE BASE LEGS Filed June so, 1953 s Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR A w /M/v M Jl/ZZ/M/V ATTORNEY United States Patent PEDESTAL-TYPE SUPPORTING STAND HAVING FDLDABLE BASE LEGS Norman M. Sullivan, Cincinnati, Ohio, assiguor to The Alvey-Ferguson Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application June 30, 1953, Serial No. 365,027

3 Claims. (Cl. 248-166) This invention relates to supporting apparatus, and more particularly to an improved lightweight portable stand having a centrally disposed upright pedestal with outwardly radiating base-engaging legs at the bottom thereof.

One of the outstanding objects of the present invention is to provide a pedestal-type stand for use in effecting the support of portable conveyors in their active positions of use.

Portable conveyors, particularly those of the gravity type employing longitiudinally extending bed frames carrying anti-friction product-supporting and advancing rollers or wheels, are supported customarily in operating positions by vertical base frames arranged beneath the conveyor frames. The base frames hitherto employed in this capacity have been composed usually of a plurality of leg members and braces which form an assembly possessing the full transverse width of the associated conveyor frame. Such an assembly is difiicult and time consuming in operatively connecting the same with or in disconnecting it from an associated conveyor frame, the same being normally heavy and bulky and thereby rendered difiicult and awkward to lift or handle or to store compactly.

Accordingly, it is another object of the present inven tion to provide an improved supporting device in the form of a base-mounted stand for such conveyors, and wherein the stand is formed with an improved leg structure which is adapted to be extended to provide a broad base for the stable support of an upright conveyor-mounting pedestal, and wherein provision is made for folding the supporting legs of the stand when the latter is not in use, whereby to compactly assemble the same for storage purposes or transportation from one working location to another.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a supporting stand which includes an upright column or pedestal provided at its lower end with a relatively flat stationary and radially projecting leg frame, there being a complemental leg frame mounted on said column or pedestal adjacent to the first leg frame for turning movement about the longitudinal axis of the column or pedestal, whereby to enable said complemental leg frame when the stand is not in use to be folded flatly against the stationary or first-named leg frame.

A further object is to provide a stand having an upright supporting column equipped at its lower end with relatively stationary and turnable base-providing leg frames, the latter being capable of assuming relatively spaced and radially extending positions in which the same occupy different vertical planes when the stand is in active use and when said stand is inactively positioned, to be folded side by side in a space-saving manner, the said leg frames being provided with means for maintaining the movable frame locked against rotation on said column when the stand is in active use.

A further object is to provide a stand of the type set forth in which the movable leg frame may be turned relative to the stationary leg frame when the weight of the column of the stand and mechanism carried thereby is removed from said leg frame.

A still further object is to provide a movable leg frame of such a supporting stand with a sleeve which is movable longitudinally of an associated upright column and turnable about the longitudinal axis thereof, the longitudinal movement of the sleeve on the column being utilized to cause recesses formed in the upper edge region of the sleeve to be brought into and out of locking engagement with leg rungs of the stationary frame.

An additional object is to provide in a stand of this character a leg frame mounted for axial turning movement and limited lengthwise motion on an upright staff or column, and wherein the longitudinal movement of the leg frame is utilized in part to obtain a leveling of the leg frame with respect to an uneven base surface, whereby to produce a stable non-tilting upright support ing structure.

Further objects, advantages and various novel constructional features of my invention will be readily understood through a consideration of the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein is illustrated by way of example, preferred embodiments of the invention.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a supporting stand formed in accordance with the present invention. In this figure the base-forming leg frames of the stand are shown in their extended or active order.

Fig. 2 is a similar view disclosing the leg frames in their collapsed or folded order.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail and fragmentary side view disclosing a portion of the stationary column of my improved supporting stand and the stationary leg members radiating therefrom, and illustrating the hub sleeves of the movable leg members in spaced relation from the stationary leg members to provide for turning movement of said movable leg members.

Fig. 5 is a detail side elevational view disclosing the upper end of the column of my improved supporting stand and the association thereof with longitudinally aligned frame units of an associated conveyor mechamsm.

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view disclosing a modified form of the present invention in which the staff or column is provided with three sets of leg frames, one of which being stationary on the associated column and the others being movable relative to said column;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the structure disclosed in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary side elevational view of another modified form;

Fig. 9 is a detail top plan view of the form of the device disclosed in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a side view of a further modified form;

Fig. 11 is a transverse cross sectional view on the line 1111 of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken along the line 1212 of Fig. 5.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, and especially to the form of my improved supporting stand illustrated therein and disclosed in a preferred form in Figs. 1 through 5, my improved stand comprises an upright pedestal or column P which, at its lower end, is supported on a base surface by foldable leg frames F and which at its upper end carries a cross-bar B for the support of conveyor sections indicated at C.

At its lower end the pedestal P includes an inner sleeve 15, the latter being surrounded by a shorter outer sleeve 16, which is capable of being turned about the vertical or longitudinal axis of the pedestal. The inner sleeve 15 slidably and telescopingly receives the lower portion of the tubular body 17 of the pedestal, the said body being adjustable vertically with respect to the inner sleeve 15, and being maintained in its various positions of vertical adjustment by the provision of a manually operated set screw or its equivalent 18. By loosening the set screw the tubular body 17 of the pedestal may be raised or lowered to assume various operating positions, and by tightening the set screw into frictional contact with the body 17, the latter may be retained in its various posi' tions of adjustment. If desired, the body 17 may be formed with a restricted longitudinally extending slot 19. This slot is adapted to receive the pointed or tapered inner end 20 of the set screw 18, so that when the set screw is tightened the pointed end thereof will enter the slot 19 in a manner expanding the set screw-engaged Jortion of the tubular body 17 to bring its outer walls nto frictional engagement with the inner wall surfaces of the sleeve 15, thus maintaining the vertical adjustment of the pedestal body 17, as shown more particular- .y in Fig. 3.

Formed with the inner sleeve is a substantially flat and stationary leg frame 21. This frame is composed of outer members indicated at 21a. These outer members include downwardly inclined upper portions 21b which, at their points of juncture with the sleeve 15, are inwardly recessed or notched, as at 21c, the same being welded or otherwise joined, as at 21d, to the outer surfaces of the inner sleeve 15.

By reference to Fig. 3, it will be noted that the downwardly diverging portions of the members 21a of the leg frame 21 are disposed equidistantly on opposite sides of the vertical plane xx passing through the center of the pedestal P, whereby to provide for compact folding of a movable leg frame 22 of the leg structure against the sides of the stationary leg frame. Fig. 1, it will be observed that the downwardly diverging portions 21b of the leg frame 21 terminate at their outer ends in vertically depending base-engaging portions 210. Toward their lower ends the vertical leg portions 2.1a are joined with the outer ends of horizontally extending rungs 21f which are arranged adjacent the bottom of the stand. The inner ends of the rungs 21 are joined, as at 21g, with the extreme lower end of the inner sleeve 15, whereby a firm, rigid, and stationary leg frame is provided in association with the inner sleeve 15. All portions of the stationary leg frame are rigidly joined to provide a composite member.

Similarly, the same construction is employed in the movable leg frame. The movable leg frame includes downwardly and outwardly diverging members 22b which, at their upper ends, are welded, as at 220, to the outer surfaces of the outer sleeve 16. The portions 22b terminate in vertical depending base-engaging legs 22a, and the latter at their lower ends are joined with horizontally extending cross rungs 22], the inner ends of the rungs 22 being welded or otherwise secured to the lower portions of the turnable outer sleeve 16. As shown more particularly in Fig. 4, the upper portion of the outer sleeve 16 is provided with a pair of locking recesses 23, the latter being adapted to receive the inner ends 210 of the members 21b of the stationary leg frame when the stand structure as a whole is set up for use, as in Fig. 1. It will be seen that when the weight of the stand resting on a base support is applied to the movable leg structure, when the latter occupies a plane perpendicular to that occupied by the stationary frame, the notches or recesses 23 of the sleeve 16 will be forced upwardly to receive the inner end regions 21c. In this manner the sleeve 16 and the movable leg structure is locked against rotation about the axis of the pedestal P, holding the parts positively in their extended or active positions.

When the stand is collapsed for transportation or compact storage, the set screw 18 is loosened so that the tube 17 slides downwardly to a lowered position in the inner sleeve 15. The stand is raised slightly so that the weight thereof is relieved on the movable leg structure. This allows the sleeve 16 to drop so that the recesses or notches 23 assume a lowered position, substantially as shown in Fig. 4. When the sleeve is so lowered, it will be seen that the same may rotate about the long axis of the pedestal, causing the movable frame to assume the position illustrated in Fig. 2, in which it lies flatly against the stationary leg frame. By offsetting the members 21b and 22b relative to the plane x-x, as shown in Fig. 3, a very compact folding of the leg parts is thus provided.

While the supporting stand of the present invention may be employed in many different capacities, it is particularly adapted for the support of roller bed gravity conveyors of the type illustrated generally in Fig. 5. Such conveyors comprise longitudinally extending inverted U-shaped rail sections 25, which are formed with vertically arranged sides 26, the latter terminating along their lower longitudinal edges in outturned flanges 27. These flanges, at the meeting ends of a pair of aligned rail sections 25, are, as shown in Fig. 5, disposed to rest on the upper surface of the crossbar B carried at the upper end of the pedestal P. As shown in Fig. 1, this crossbar includes a plurality of upwardly projecting positioning lugs 28 which are adapted to enter the open lower edges of the rail sections 25 between the sides 26 thereof for By reference to engagement with cross pins 29 carried transversely by the sides 26, whereby to hold the rail sections against longitudinal separation or displacement. The crossbar B includes transversely spaced downwardly and inwardly inclined flanges 30 which engage a ferrule 31 carried by the upper end of the pedestal tube 17. If desired, the crossbar B may be welded to the ferrule 31.

With this arrangement, a portable knock-down roller bed conveyor of the gravity type illustrated in Fig. 5 may be readily assembled in an operative position on the upper end of one or more of the supporting stands, with the conveyor securely held in its operating position by the stand at various levels of operation, and at the same time, through the extended base provided by the leg frames of the stand, is prevented from tilting over on its side. After use the entire structure may be readily separated and disassembled. When so disassembled the parts of the apparatus may be compactly folded, and

placed in a motor vehicle or the like for transportation from one working location to another. In this regard the apparatus is of particular use in the loading or unloading of products from automotive trucks or the like, although the apparatus may be employed in many other widely differing capacities.

Variations of the invention are of course possible. For example, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, three leg frames are employed as indicated at 35, 36 and 37, each of these frames being of half length as compared with those disclosed in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Thus in the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, the stand in effect possesses three supporting legs rather than four, as in my preferred form. As shown in Fig. 6, the leg 35, which is carried by the sleeve 15 in fixed association therewith, constitutes the stationary leg, while the legs 36 and 37 comprise a pair of movable legs. The movable legs are united at their upper ends with collars shown at 38, 39, while the rungs 36a and 37a are suitably secured to the collars 40 and 41. The collars 38, 39, 40 and 41 are turnable on the sleeve 15 so that the legs 36 and 37 may be adjusted from widely separated extended positions of use to the compact parallel positions disclosed in full lines in Fig. 7, the stationary leg 35 being disposed between the movable legs 36 and 37 when the latter occupy their folded positions as shown in Fig. 6. The inner ends of the stationary leg 35 and its associated rung 35a are secured to collars disclosed at 42 and 43, which are carried by and form a stationary part of the associated sleeve 15.

Any suitable positive load-responsive locking means may be employed for holding the movable legs 36 and 37 in their active positions of extension. However, in Figs. 8 and 9, I have shown an arrangement particularly suitable for the purpose. In these figures, the collar 38 is equipped with an upstanding pin 44, which is carried by and projects upwardly from its upper surface, the pin 44 being received within one of a pair of sockets 45 provided in the flat under surface of the stationary collar 42. Similarly, a pin 46 is carried by and projects upwardly from the top surface of the collar 39, and which is adapted to be received in one or the other of sockets 47 formed in the lower surface of the collar 38. By this arrangement or its equivalent, the movable leg frames may be positively locked in connection with the stationary leg frames in either their collapsed or extended positions. their retaining pins to be readily separated from the stationary collars. In the form illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9, the inner ends of the legs 36 and 37 are bent and extend radially outwardly from the long axis of the pedestal, with the main body portions of the legs in laterally offset parallel vertical planes, whereas in Fig. 7 the leg frames are offset in their full lengths.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. 10 and ll, the arrangement of the parts is the same as that disclosed in Figs. 1 through 4, except that the legs of the relatively stationary and movable frames 50 and 51, respectively, when actively extended occupy planes indicated by the lines xx and y-y. Thus the individual members of each leg frame on opposite sides of the pedestal are disposed in the same vertical plane, and are not laterally offset with respect to each other, as are the opposite members of the leg frames depicted in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. While the construction of Figs. 10 and 11 does not permit the respective leg frames 50 and 51 to assume exactly parallel positions when Lifting the stand enables the movable collars and bolted together, due to the abutment of the outer ends thereof, nevertheless a sufficient compactness is provided for all practical purposes and at the same time a construction produced which is somewhat more simple and economical to manufacture than that disclosed in Figs. 1-4.

I claim:

1. In a supporting stand; a vertically disposed tubular member; leg members having downwardly diverging base-engaging rungs, the latter at their upper and inner ends being secured to said tubular member in rigid stationary relationship therewith; a sleeve mounted for turning movement on said tubular member and limited longitudinal movement with respect thereto; leg rungs complemental to those of said tubular member carried by said sleeve and having their inner and upper ends rigidly joined with the sleeve for turning and sliding movement on said tubular member in unison therewith, the leg rungs of said sleeve being arranged to flatly engage with those of said tubular member when said stand is inactively positioned and to extend substantially at right angles to the leg members of said tubular member when the stand is actively positioned; and recess means formed in the upper end of said sleeve, said means being engageable with the rungs of said tubular member to lock said sleeve against rotation when said stand is actively positioned.

2. In a supporting stand; a vertically disposed tubular member; leg members having downwardly diverging base-engaging rungs, the latter at their upper and inner ends being secured to said tubular member in rigid stationary relationship therewith; a sleeve mounted for turning movement on said tubular member and limited longitudinal movement with respect thereto; leg rungs complemental to those of said tubular member carried by said sleeve and having their inner and upper ends rigidly joined with the sleeve for turning and sliding movement on said tubular member in unison therewith, the leg rungs of said sleeve being arranged to flatly engage with those of said tubular member when said stand is inactively positioned and to extend substantially at right angles to the leg members of said tubular member when the stand is actively positioned; recess means formed in the upper end of said sleeve, said means being engageable with the rungs of said tubular member to lock said sleeve against rotation when said stand is actively positioned; a pedestal slidably mounted in said tubular member; and means carried by said tubular member for retaining said pedestal in various positions of vertical adjustment with respect to the tubular member.

3. In a supporting stand; a generally vertically arranged cylindrical pedestal member having a first leg frame including a downwardly and outwardly extending base-engaging terminal; a sleeve carried on said pedestal member for limited longitudinal sliding and rotative movement relative thereto and having a second leg frame substantially identical in configuration to said first leg frame rigidly carried by said sleeve and movable therewith between a first inactive position substantially parallel to said first leg frame and a second active position wherein said second leg frame is disposed in relatively Widely spaced angular relation to said first leg frame and the base-engaging terminals of said leg frames lie on a common horizontal plane; and interlock means provided on said sleeve and engageable with said pedestal member and its leg frame upon relative upward, sliding movement of said sleeve on said pedestal member to lock said sleeve and said second leg frame against rotative movement relative to said pedestal member and said first leg frame when said frames occupy their said second active position, said interlock means being disengageable from said pedestal member and said first leg frame by gravity upon upward movement of said pedestal member and its said first leg frame to permit said leg frames to be relatively rotated to their said inactive positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 154,753 Denison Aug. 9, 1949 485,463 Ennis Nov. 1, 1892 1,060,861 Schulte May 6, 1913 1,289,219 Marsh Dec. 31, 1918 1,394,596 Wohl et al. Oct. 25, 1921 1,508,470 Partmann Sept. 16, 1924 2,150,582 Klever Mar. 14, 1939 2,650,717 Larson Sept. 1, 1953 

